A Home For the Heart
by Suraki
Summary: KuraYus. Yusuke's mother has always hit him and now Kurama knows about it. Kurama can't let Yusuke be used as a punching bag so he offers him a place to stay. Emotions run wild and hilarity ensues sub HiKuwa Update DONE!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho**

**_Suraki brings you more happy yaoi to sink your teeth into. This is a pairing I've not finished a story for in a while so bare with me if my characters are a bit OOC. BTW if I spelled 'bargened' someone please tell me. My spellcheck is down._**

**Chapter One**

"Tell me something, Urameshi," said Kuwabara.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you color-blind?"

"N-no, why do you ask?"

"Well, that getup of yours is pretty bad."

"What're you talking about?"

"You're wearing a red plaid undershirt with a yellow shirt over it and a green jacket with an orange collar. Don't tell me that's an accident, I've seen you wear it a bunch of times."

I stared at him over my coffee. We were at the new Starbucks four miles east of Tokyo proper having coffee and trying to catch up since we'd been separated since I was fifteen. Not that it matters much seeing as how we're just friends but he was hit pretty hard when I left (he hit _me_ pretty hard too). Now, on the day after my return I was 18 and a day old. Sounds funny now that I think about it because the last time I was in this world I was a freshman in high school and so much had changed since I left. Kuwabara started going on dates, which bugged the hell out of me because I was tied down to Keiko. Kurama 'came out of the closet' –it was only a matter of time anyway. Hiei hasn't been back since god knows when and most shockingly of all, Keiko's hair grew about 26 inches. Nah, I'm just kidding. The real shocker was when Yukina said she was pregnant.

Don't ask. Something about being 100 and Immaculate Conception. This made me wonder where the heck Hiei's Y chromosome came from but anywho, back to Kuwabara asking me embarrassing questions.

"If you're not color-blind then what color is my shirt?"

"Uhh… topaz?"

"Is that even a color? You're making stuff up."

"Topaz is gold, idiot. Like a yellowy color."

"That's weird coz my shirt is purple. What color are my eyes?"

"Orange for all I care. You're eyes are tiny, I don't want to get close enough to you to find out." I was, of course, messing with him. I knew his eyes were blue. "I'm surprised you can get dates with green hair. Are you trying to be a punk rocker?"

"Are you kidding?"

"Hell yeah! I'm not color-blind, just fashion challenged but I know that your shirt is not purple. It's magenta. Or maybe mauve, I can't tell really. What's the difference between magenta and mauve anyway?"

"For all I know, they're both purple. Since when do you care about colors anyway?"

"Since about half of the demons in the Makai are one shade of purple or another and the queer ones get a bit touchy about the color of their skin. 'Oh, I'm indigo, not purple,'" I said, imitating a high-pitched girly-man voice.

"It's not cool to call 'em queers," Kuwabara said with a glare. "How can you say that stuff what with Kurama and all?"

"I don't have a problem with gays. I love Kurama, you know that."

Kuwabara raised an eyebrow at me. "Love?"

"I love all of you jokers. Yes, even Hiei. It was one of the lessons that Grandma always beat so hard into my head. Gotta love something with all your energy and spirit, she was always telling me. Not in those exact words but something like that. And seeing as how my heart doesn't beat anymore, I guess I gotta love with my spirit."

"Was that a round-about way of saying that you love me?"

"_Now_ who's being intolerant? It's the platonic friendly kind of love, you know. The way you love you're m… er… Shizuru. Speaking of which, she doesn't have a crush on Kurama does she?"

"Nah, she's too smart for that. She knew about him being… you know, like the second she met him."

"I did too."

"He told me that all demons are bi but he just prefers the males."

"Ix-nay on the emon-day."

"There's no one here but the barista. Jeeze Urameshi, you're actin awful weird. Why do you care if my sis has a crush on Kurama?"

"She's like a big sister to me too; I was worried about her getting hurt. Kurama being a lady-killer and all but I guess he's not that anymore is he… Hmm… something to think about."

"How's Keiko?"

"Determined."

"Determined to do what?"

"Drive me outta my friggen mind, what do _you_ think?"

"What's she done?"

"Asking me if I cheated on her while I was away."

"Did you?"

"No! Are you kidding me? There were no normal people around me in that crazy place. Once I was there for a while, I realized that I hated it. I don't care if all those people are prospective fights. I need to settle down and quit beating people up anyway." I stuck a coffee stir in my mouth and rested my elbows on the table, leaning forward. "Not that I didn't have the chance," I whispered. "Demons were always hitting on me. It's coz of my class."

"Let me guess, not all of them were women."

"They prefer to be called females coz of the connotation with the humanness. And no, most of them were male actually. Now that I think of it, it was kind of weird."

"And you're telling me you were 100 faithful?"

"I didn't even _hug_ another demon while I was away. I avoided touching people at all costs. It gave me a creepy feeling in my stomach when demons would… hit on me, you know. So I tried to be standoffish. Kept most of them away but there were a few that were persistent. Of course, I had to kick some ass. It's too much of a hassle being on of the beautiful people. But you wouldn't know that."

"Shut up, Urameshi, I can get a date with any girl I want!"

"Because you're psychic, big deal. Are you even happy?"

"Well… Uh… I'm happy now coz my best friend is back. I don't know…" Kuwabara buried his face in his hands.

_Hands, touching my chest…_ I shivered even though the thought made me feel warm. _Wait, hold on! I'm not thinking what I think I'm thinking am I?_

"Whassamatter, Urameshi?" asked Kuwabara, looking up.

"I don't think the things I think before I think them okay!"

"Try saying _that_ five times fast. What are you talking about?"

I took the mutilated swizzle-stick out of my mouth and stuck it in my cold coffee. _Stupid demon blood. I am NOT gay._ "I don't know. Half the time, things just come out of my mouth without permission."

"Wow, you're even weirder than I remember."

"That's why you love me though, right?"

"I wouldn't call it love."

For some reason, that made my face get _really_ hot. Might have been the way he said it or the way he was _scanning my body with his hungry eyes…_

_To quote a Christian, Jesus FUCKING Christ._

"I gotta go, I just remembered that I have to wash my dog." I stood up and bolted, ignoring Kuwabara calling after me telling me that I didn't have a dog.

- -

Kurama answered the door holding his toothbrush. "With the way you were knocking, I thought there was an emergency," he said.

"Is that any way to say hello?" I said.

"I'm sorry. Hello, Yusuke, how are you this morning? It _is_ technically morning isn't it?"

"Why are you brushing your teeth at midnight?"

"Pesky plaque. It never sleeps. Come in."

I walked into his HUMONGOUS house, wondering if maybe he was rich. He had _gargoyles_ for crying out loud. "Nice house," I said.

"Is it?" he said. "Sometimes I wonder if perhaps it's a bit too big. It is just me here now. I don't pay the mortgage anyway." He shook his head and set the toothbrush down on the side-board in the foyer He had a FUCKING foyer. Which I believe is pronounced foy-AY if you want to be snooty and this was definitely a snooty house. Not that Kurama was snooty. He was the exact opposite. "So, what seems to be the trouble?"

"I think I might be… um… attracted to… someone who isn't exactly female."

"Oh? Who?" He didn't seem very interested, almost as if he was expecting it. Which made me wonder about myself.

"Well, honestly, I'm not sure."

Kurama examined his nails for a second before turning his attention back to me. _He's got some piercing green eyes…_ "Take a seat, I have a feeling that this won't be over-with very soon."

"Thanks." I walked into the main room of the house which appeared to be a library. I say appeared because I'd never seen a library with so many books. Not in someone's house anyway. I took a seat on a big comfy leather couch in the 'seating area' I guess because it had some chairs arranged in a semi-circle around a fireplace. "If I'm annoying you-"

"Not at all," Kurama interrupted. "What are friends for?" He took a seat directly across from me on the other couch.

"You just don't seem all that interested."

"Honestly, Yusuke, I've been waiting for this conversation for a good while now. After careful consideration and thought, I've decided that the best thing to tell you is to go with what your heart wants. What makes you feel warm inside when you think of it? Is there a person who does that to you? Things to consider. Also, I'm well aware that you are in love with Keiko but you must ask yourself if you are truly attracted to her."

"Half my life I've been sexually harrassing her."

"Why?"

"Why? What do you mean 'why?' I have a good reason for it. It's coz I'm a perve."

"Why? What is your goal in harrassing her? Are you trying to get her attention or are you trying to affirm that you are _indeed_ attracted to her? If it is attention you seek, what kind of attention are you looking for?"

"I never thought of it that way, mostly I was doing it because it made her mad. So I guess that's attention-seeking, isn't it?"

"I must ask again, what kind of attention did you want?"

"Uh-… I'm not sure. Like, at all."

"She basically takes care of you doesn't she?"

"What do you mean?"

"She tries to make sure you go to school, that you've eaten breakfast, that you do your homework. Things of that nature."

"Yeah, she's always done that."

"And she was the only friend you had until you decided to stop beating up Kuwabara?"

"Uh-huh, what's your point?"

"I wonder if perhaps you see her as a mother figure. I've heard several times from you that your mother is rarely, if ever, there for you. Am I correct in assuming that you have no idea who your father is?"

"My father was Raizen," I said that quickly and adamantly.

"I'm talking about _this_ generation."

"You're talking about my sperm donor."

"Not in so many words but it will suffice."

"My mom has it narrowed down to about… oh… fifty guys. She doesn't really know. I don't really care."

"From your background, I would assume that any relationship in which someone takes care of you would be rather attractive, if not sexually then emotionally."

"Is that bad?"

"Is it? I wonder… I grew up with a very loving mother. My father, unfortunately, died a short time after my birth so I never knew him in the conventional father-son sense. My step-father treats me as his son for which, I am very grateful. Yet, as I grew up, I never felt I was lacking in parental love. You, however, are the opposite. This brings us to the question that brought you here: why do you have feelings for a man?"

"That's the 50 million dollar question, isn't it?"

"Fifty million is all this answer is worth?"

"All?"

"My father's company grosses twice that amount in four months. It isn't a lot of money."

"Maybe not for you. So what's the answer?"

"I believe I already gave it to you."

"I must not have been paying attention."

"You should do as your heart directs. In essence, follow your heart to where it feels at home. Think about all that I have said, give it time. Meditate on the answer. Now, as it is far too late to be out and about, I think you should spend the night in the guest suite."

"Guest suite? You have one of those?"

"I have three. I'll give you the one with the Jacuzzi tub. Feel free to take a bath."

_Seriously? This can't be for real!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me. See profile.**

**I know that Angst/Humor is odd but you'll understand later.**

**Two things because otherwise everyone is going to groan when they read certain parts. HIEI IS NOT PREGNANT!!! And no one ever raped Yusuke. Thank you. On with chapter two.**

**Chapter two**

When I woke up the next morning a really scary thought came to me. _I just spent the night at another guy's house!_ Needless to say, I was floored. I didn't even want to get up because Kurama's sheets were really nice. But getting up also meant leaving Kurama's house. I groaned. I didn't want to go home. I had a weird need to stay near Kurama. I told myself not to be ridiculous, that I needed to go home, that I needed to tell Keiko about last night. It wasn't fair to her after all to lead her on while I was 'on the road to self-discovery' so-to-speak. _Ugh, that means I have to break her heart._

I climbed out of bed and headed down stairs to find the fox demon whose hospitality I had so thoroughly abused the night before. I expected to find him in the kitchen with a cup of coffee reading the daily news in a smart outfit looking dapper as always. What I wasn't expecting was what he really was doing. Which was...

Stumbling around half-asleep, muttering to himself wearing a white bathrobe and his hair sticking out at odd angles.

When I approached him cautiously, he was saying something that sounded like, "…the relation of the quasar to the fifth moon in degrees fahrenheit oh hi."

"Hi?" I said. "You never say hi."

"Where is the coffee maker?" He wasn't even looking at me.

"I'm not sure because it's your house but I'm gonna guess in the kitchen, not the library."

"Right… kitchen." He shuffled off toward the hallway. _I didn't think it was possible but he actually looks… disheveled._ I shivered. This was something I had never seen. Kurama looking human. Kurama with a flaw.

I found him in the kitchen staring hopelessly at the coffee maker. "How do you work this thing again?" he muttered.

"Don't worry, I'll do it," I said.

Kurama jumped about five feet and turned around, looking at me like he'd never seen me before. "How did you get past the dogs? What are you doing here so early?"

"Um… I spent the night? What dogs?"

"Right, step-father's pajamas." He looked me up and down squintingly. I decided to ignore him and work on getting him coffee. _He'll be more like himself after he gets some caffeine… I hope._ It wasn't hard to find the coffee, there was a whole cabinet devoted to coffee and espresso and the doors were glass. I started the coffee maker and the sound and smell seemed to wake Kurama slightly because he looked more awake and said, "I'm not exactly a morning person."

"It's alright, Kurama," I said in my 'talking to a crazy person' voice. I poured him a cup of coffee and he grinned at me.

"Bless your heart. You may well have saved my day from being a complete disaster."

"Uh… drink the coffee," I said, freaking out.

Kurama nodded and took a sip. He seemed to instantly come to life. "I'm sorry about my behavior. Not all of me wakes up at once. I don't know what I was thinking when I invited you to stay the night. My hair probably looks dreadful."

"Eh… it's not that bad."

"You're sweet but a liar nonetheless." He drank more coffee.

"I have to go break up with Keiko."

Kurama nodded. "Are you sure you want to?"

"Yeah, I did a lot of thinking last night and I decided you were right about me seeing her as a mother-figure. It wouldn't be nice to make her think I was attracted to her when I'm not. I just hope she doesn't get too upset."

"Well, if you need to come back here for support, please do so."

"I'll keep that in mind."

- -

"You came back," Kurama said, sounding surprised as he let me into his house. "Oh and it looks like she hit you." Kurama touched the bruise that was starting to form on my left eye. I winced. "Have a seat, I'll bring some ice." I sat down in the library on my favorite couch and slumped into the pillow, thinking about what had just happened. _I should have known better than that, _I thought. Kurama came back with one of those old fashioned ice-packs. "Keiko was upset enough to hit you that hard?" he asked.

"Huh? Keiko? Oh, no. Keiko was pretty okay with it, she was sad but she wanted me to be happy."

"Then the black-eye?"

"Oh, well… my mom did that." Kurama's eyes widened. "She was mad because I didn't come home last night."

"So she hit you?"

"Uh-huh… Um, she does it all the time. It's really not a big deal."

"_Your mother hit you?_ _She does it all the time?_"

_Yikes, Kurama's voice sounds scary._ "Yeah..."

"And you let her do it?!"

I jumped. _Wow, he's really mad, I've never heard him raise his voice… or start a sentence with the word 'and.'_ "Well, she's only a human."

"SHE'S YOUR MOTHER!!" Kurama shrieked.

I winced. "I'm sorry," I said automatically.

Kurama's voice lowered to a deadly whisper and his eyes got all dark and spooky. "You expect me to hit you don't you?"

Just then, the front door slammed open. "What happened?" Hiei's voice called from the foyer. "Why did you scream?" He entered the library, took one look at Kurama and stumbled backwards with apparent fear.

"_Do you think it's okay to hit your child?_" Kurama asked Hiei in that creepy voice.

"What? My child isn't even born yet. What are you talking about?"

"I'm not talking about _your_ child! I'm talking about _Yusuke!_"

"Yusuke has a child?" Hiei looked utterly bewildered. It was weird, I'd never seen him look confused.

"You'll have to forgive our friend," said Kurama, "pregnancy makes demons a bit ditzy. No, Hiei. Yusuke's mother has been hitting him."

Hiei narrowed his eyes. "For how long?" he asked in the same deadly whisper that Kurama used a few minutes ago.

"Er… ever since I can remember?" I squeaked.

"WHAT?!" Hiei screamed.

I cowered in a defensive posture and threw up my hands to fend off blows. "Please stop yelling!" I whispered. "I hate it when people yell at me!"

Kurama picked up the ice-pack I had thrown and pressed it gently to my eye. "You're starting to swell," he said in his normal voice. "Where else did she hit you?"

"N-nowhere! It's just my black-eye, that's it!"

"He's lying," said Hiei.

"I know," said Kurama.

"What should we do?"

"The only thing we can, remove him from the situation."

"_Remove _me?" I said. "What do you mean?"

"How did you like the bed you slept in last night?" asked Kurama.

"It was really nice…?" I answered, confused.

"Good, then it's yours. Come, Hiei, why don't we retrieve our friend's belongings?"

I stood up. "STAY!" Hiei and Kurama yelled.

I sat back down and held the ice pack to my face. "You won't hurt her will you?" I asked.

"No," said Kurama, and with that, they left.

I flopped backwards on the couch and lay my head against the armrest. I stared at the ceiling as if it could tell me what had just happened. It all had happened so fast. It was like one second, I was talking to Keiko, who was nearly in tears, the next, my mom took a drunken swing at me. Hell, four or five drunken swings… I pulled up the sleeves of my sweater and looked at the bruises on my arms. _Great, now how am I gonna hide these?_ Then I remembered that Kurama already knew about them so I shed the sweat-shirt and folded it behind my head. I sighed and drifted off to sleep.

_I'm running, chasing after a beautiful light and I know that once I reach it, I will be safe. But right now I'm not. I running away from darkness and my head is spinning. My heart is racing. The darkness is gaining on me and my stomach turns at the prospect of it catching up. So I speed up and try to catch the elusive light but I'm being caught by the darkness. It's holding me down by my shoulders, shaking the life out of me. The light is disappearing. I am consumed with darkness._

Darkness. I opened my eyes and saw Kurama standing over me, looking down at me and holding onto my shoulders. I jerked away and yelled, "hands off." Kurama pulled away looking hurt as if I had just burned him but I didn't care. That dream was scary and he had been holding me the same way the darkness had been. I sat up a bit too fast and the confusion or the hurt look in Kurama's eyes made me feel really sick. Whichever it was, Hiei had the bad luck of standing directly in front of me because I puked all over him. "I am _soo_ sorry!" I squeaked.

Hiei nodded curtly and left the room. An awkward silence ensued between me and Kurama until Hiei came back holding crackers and ginger ale. "Thanks," I said, taking the food. "And thanks for not immediately killing me."

"Believe it or not, that happens all the time," Hiei said, not sounding pleased.

"Bullshit," I said. I took a sip of the ginger ale.

"Have you ever heard of sympathy pain?" Hiei asked.

"Yeah, like when your wife is pregnant and you feel the same symptoms?"

"Imagine a bond between twins and one of them is pregnant."

"Oh…" I ate a cracker. "So it's like times a million?"

"Yes, and demons don't stop having morning sickness until the baby is born."

"That sucks."

He sighed. "You," he poked Kurama. "Go make food." Kurama nodded sadly and walked out. "Have you ever been raped detective?"

"No!" I said.

"Then I suppose you have a good reason for shouting at Kurama when all he did was try gently to wake you? That is comparable to a rape victim being touched."

"I'll keep that in mind in case I ever meet a rape victim. Note to self: do not touch."

Hiei glared at me. "You are looking at one."

I choked on the sip of ginger ale I had just taken. "I'm sorry, Hiei. I didn't know. Um, really, I've never been hurt like that before."

"Let me see inside your head to make certain that your memories do not deceive you."

"Yeah, alright."

Hiei's eyes glassed over and his third eye started glowing beneath his head scarf. He stayed like that for about fifteen minutes before looking at me. "Oh," he said. Then his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

I stared at him for like five minutes until it occurred to me that I should probably get help. "Kurama!" I yelled.

Kurama walked in with a dishrag over his shoulder. "What-? Oh, how did that happen?"

"He read my mind and I guess it freaked him out," I said shrugging. "Shouldn't we wake him up?"

"No." Kurama picked Hiei up and set him gently on the couch across from me. "He'll wake up when his mind processes what ever it wa-… Yusuke, what exactly was he looking for?"

"No clue."

Kurama's eyes darkened. "I see."

"Listen, I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier."

"It's fine, I understand."

"Really?"

"Yes, you didn't want me to touch you, I understand completely."

"You do?"

"Of course, you are still confused about your sexuality."

"I think you're lying. I think you're hurt."

"If you want me to tell you the truth, you should return the favor."

"Okay, she hit me maybe like five times and I think I know what Hiei was looking for but it's between us."

"Why?"

"Hiei told me something personal and I don't know if he wants you to know about it." _The last thing I need is to tell Kurama that Hiei was raped if he doesn't already know. I wonder what Hiei saw. I hope he didn't notice my weird feelings for guys. That would be embarrassing._ "So, what was the hurt look all about?"

Kurama turned back toward the hallway. "I don't like my touch bringing about that reaction, that's all." He walked out.

_Well, I'd say that today has been productive. So far I've managed to break Keiko's heart, get beat up by mom, move in with Kurama, throw up on Hiei, and hurt Kurama's feelings so bad he won't even look me in the eyes. Oh and something in my head is so messed up that it freaked HIEI out._

_My life is utterly fucked._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: ** I own nothing. See my profile for full disclaimer

To all of you who reviewed: thanks. I'm wondering if maybe people are a bit put off by the Hiei/Kuwabara sub-pairing and that's why I'm not getting more reviews. Maybe it's coz the story just sucks but… If I don't get more reviews, I'm gonna Discontinue this fic. I have others that are more popular then this one and I'm thinking maybe I should just scrap this one and write a different Yusuke/Kurama thingy. Anyway, if you disagree strongly, review and I'll consider continuing. Otherwise, I'm gonna have to let this one go.

**Chapter Three**

Hiei was still asleep when I got up the next day. I walked down stairs and paused briefly in the library to make sure Hiei was still breathing, he was. So onward to the kitchen where Kurama was _attempting to make coffee without water!!_

"Stop!" I said, rushing to his side. "Let me do it. You'll break the coffee maker."

"You smell like sex," Kurama muttered._ Huh?_ "I hope you remembered to go shopping for squedlies because I need moarenga for pumpkin soup."

I ignored him. It was probably best as nothing coherent ever came out of his mouth before he had coffee. I was going to have to remember to get up before him and make coffee so he wouldn't walk around like a zombie.

Once Kurama had a few sips of coffee, he was able to tell me "good morning."

"'Morning," I responded.

"How is Hiei?"

"Still breathing but I couldn't find a pulse."

"Hm." He smiled. I loved his smile…

"Shouldn't we wake him?"

"Mm? Oh, I don't… He's already awake, he's standing behind you."

I turned around. "Hey, Hiei," I said.

Hiei looked at me then Kurama then grunted. "I was wrong," he said. "It never happened to you, although, you are in desperate need of therapy." He grabbed a spoon out of the drawer beneath the coffee maker and took a tub of yogurt out of the fridge.

"Why does it seem like Hiei knows where all your stuff is?" I asked.

"This is my home," Hiei replied.

"Oh, so are you two… um… dating?"

Hiei cackled "Kurama is male."

"So?"

"I am _also_ male."

"Again, so?"

"Why would Kurama want to date a man?"

"Huh?"

"Hiei is trying to tell you that I'm straight."

"Oh."

"Even if he wasn't, Kurama wouldn't want me." Hiei took a bite of yogurt.

"Why not? You're cute."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Never mind, it was just a joke."

Kurama cleared his throat. /That was the wrong thing to say/ he told me telepathically.

"Oh, so you're making fun of me because I'm ugly?"

"Ugly? Wha?"

"I knew it." His eyes filled with tears. "I told you Kurama!"

"You need to chill, Hiei. You're cute, you're just not my type!"

"Now, I'm not good enough for you?" Tears were spilling from his eyes and crashing to the floor as gems with a clunk.

Kurama put his hand over Hiei's forehead and Hiei stopped moving. Like, he froze. "Hiei is very hormonal because of Yukina's pregnancy. I forgot to warn you."

"Can he hear us?"

"No."

"Good, because I wanna know why he cares if I think he's cute or not."

"It's a male Koorime trait, they tend to be vain and need others to find them attractive."

"So, he's not gay?"

"Actually…"

"What?"

"It's not my place to say."

"He's a-sexual?"

Kurama laughed and released Hiei. "You're beautiful, Hiei," I said.

"You don't mean that…" Hiei muttered.

"I do so!"

"Prove it."

"How?"

"Kiss me."

_Does he really…? Oh well, if it'll get him to stop crying._ I leaned in and touched Hiei's cheek awkwardly. _How do you kiss someone anyway?_ I pressed my lips to his and he immediately took over. He nipped at my mouth and forced it opened. I didn't know what to do when he started flicking his tongue into my mouth.

"That's _enough_!" yelled Kurama. We broke apart, startled. "Go take a cold shower, Hiei," he hissed.

"You never let me have any fun." Hiei pouted heading for the stairs.

Kurama whirled around and opened the fridge. He got what he needed then slammed it shut. Then he started banging pots and pans on the stove and cracking eggs rather violently.

"Kur-"

"Don't. Talk."

I winced and went back out to the library to let him cool off. _What did I do that pissed him off so bad? All I did was kiss Hiei… Oh… Maybe that's it. Maybe he's in love with Hiei._ I sighed, wondering why that made me feel so disappointed. _ I'd better just steer clear of Hiei then. It felt weird kissing him anyway I mean… why would he stick his tongue in my mouth? Was that supposed to be kissing? Keiko only ever touched her lips to mine._

_Can't think about Keiko, hurts too much._ But I couldn't stay with Keiko. It would be deceitful and mean.

I walked back into the kitchen to see if Kurama was any less upset. He was slicing a cucumber calmly. "Listen, Kurama…" I started. "I'm sorry about making out with Hiei in your kitchen. I just wanted him to stop crying." I kicked one of Hiei's tear gems in Kurama's direction. He didn't move.

"If I cried, would you kiss me?" he said acidly.

My whole body tensed up. "I c-can't kiss you!" _Shit, that sounded bad._

Kurama spun around and glared at me venomously. "Why not?"

"I can't kiss you coz you're… you're you… Hiei's not you."

"I see, so it is only me whom you would not kiss."

"It's not like that! You're special. There's something different about you. Would I kiss Hiei? Sure. Would I kiss Kuwabara? Probably. But would it mean anything to me? HELL no! You're _different_ okay?!"

Kurama bit his lip. "How?"

"I don't know. I feel different about you then I do about the others. I didn't feel _anything_ when I kissed Hiei but yesterday when you were standing over me, holding me, looking at me with your piercing green eyes… I'm beginning to think I know why Hiei fainted." Kurama just stared at me. "Never mind. I'm sorry, okay? If you want to kick me out, I'll go live with Kuwaba-"

"Don't you dare." Kurama crossed the room and grabbed me by the shoulders. "You live here, understood?"

"Y-yes."

"You will always have a home with me."

"Got it."

"Please don't kiss Hiei."

"No problem."

"Not even if he's crying."

"Okay." _ I guess he really DOES love Hiei._ I sighed, wondering if maybe I _should_ just go live with Kuwabara.

"That wasn't very tactful, Kurama," Hiei said from the doorway. "Not your style at all." He was wearing a towel. Only a towel.

"And is it your style to go gallivanting around the house in nothing but a towel?" I asked.

"Ignore him, Yusuke, he does it all the time."

That annoyed me a lot. "No, it's indecent!"

"In the Makai, you only look if you're interested."

"This is me not looking at you." I stared at Kurama. "Go put some clothes on." I heard Hiei's footsteps retreating up the stairs. "Oh, thank GOD."

"I didn't see anything wrong with it," Kurama said calmly. "He's hormonal; he's going to do some things that seem odd."

"Like kiss his friend?"

Kurama's face turned stony. He leaned in and sniffed me, and then his features softened. "You're not at all attracted to him?"

"You could tell that from just smelling me?"

"Yes."

"Okay, no I'm not attracted to him. At all."

"That's good."

_Maybe I should just give up hope that I'll ever find someone._

_**Sorry about the long gap in updates. Please review. I would hate to have to get rid of this fic right when it's starting to get good. **_


	4. Chapter 4

._**The general consensus is that if I stopped writing this story, I would be throttled. So it's continuing.**_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. It belongs to Yoshiro Togashi, Funimation, Studio Perriot, and (I think) Shonen Jump has some affiliation with it.

**Chapter Four**

_Okay, there's an alarm going off, why?_ I thought as I was unceremoniously dragged from sleep by the incessant beeping of the alarm clock. _Oh right. Kurama and coffee._ I flew down the stairs and started the coffee maker. _And if I timed this right, Kurama will be coming down the stairs right as the coffee is done._ I was off by a few minutes but Kurama only walked around like a weird-o for a few minutes before I could get caffeine in his system.

The only thing he said that made any kind of sense before he drank the coffee was "you smell like sex" which was weird, coz he said it the day before too. I meant to ask him what he meant by that but I decided that it didn't really matter. He probably didn't remember that he said it anyway.

"You really should consider sleeping in," I said. "Or at least going to bed a bit earlier. You stay up so late."

"I can't help it, Yusuke," he said.

"Why not?"

"I have difficulty sleeping."

"Where's Hiei?" I wanted to get off he subject of sleeping for some reason.

"His… hormones are acting up. He needs to rest."

"Meaning?"

"It's personal. He probably wouldn't want you to know."

"Why? He's not crying is he?"

"No."

"Kay, then I give up. What's going on today?"

"The same thing that goes on every day; I make breakfast, then go to the study to get some work done. What you do is up to you."

"What do you do for a living anyway?"

"Nothing important. Website management for my father's company."

"And what do we do about Hiei?"

Kurama's face hardened for some reason. "Nothing."

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"No, you're not."

"Why?"

"For one thing, you're not talking in whole sentences and you look pissed off. What's going on with Hiei that's got you all upset?"

"What makes you think that it has anything to do with Hiei?"

"Every time I've mentioned him, you've flinched."

"I already told you, his hormones are acting up."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"It has everything to do with me. He lives in my house."

"Is there any way we can fix him so you're not all aggravated?"

"Only Kuwabara can do that."

"How come?"

"I shouldn't have said that. Never mind."

I sighed.

"Have you tried the tub yet?"

"No, actually, I've just been taking showers."

"Why don't you try it out while I make breakfast?"

"S-sure…" I turned and headed up the stairs. _That was random. Unless he was trying to get rid of me so I wouldn't ask him anything else about Hiei's hormones. Whatever._ I pulled a clean outfit out of my dresser and headed for the bathroom.

Like everything else in Kurama's house, the bathroom was huge an fancy. The tub was six-feet by five-feet and had jets. I could practically swim in it. I turned the water on hot and looked in the cabinet for my favorite shampoo. Then I noticed something I'd never seen before. It was Jasmine Scented Bubble Bath. _Huh… What the hell…_ I shrugged and poured some in. The room was instantly filled with a very sensual and erotic scent. _Why does this smell so familiar…? And sexy… I didn't know smells could be sexy._ I shed my clothes and turned on the jets. "Whoa," I breathed. Sensory overload. I got in the tub and literally unwound. Every muscle in my body relaxed as I leaned against one of the jets. "Mmm…" I muttered, closing my eyes.

Suddenly, I saw Kurama's face.

_Wait, why am I thinking about him?_ I tried to get his image out of my mind by shaking my head. I didn't want to think about him while I was sitting naked in a bathtub. It felt like I was invading his privacy or something. But I couldn't help it. It was like a silent movie or slide-show was going off in my head. Kurama smiling. Kurama laughing. Kurama sitting on the beach drinking champagne in the moonlight. _That's really weird, Yusuke. Get ahold of yourself._

I tried to focus on something else; washing my hair. But I couldn't get rid of the feeling that Kurama was washing my hair; massaging my scalp with his long, soft fingers. I bit my lip. _This is getting out of hand._ I scrubbed myself with the bar of soap but it wasn't my hands. It was Kurama's. Kurama smiling seductively. Kurama's hair spilling over his bare shoulders as he laughed at something I said. I was amusing him. He was laughing because he thought I was funny. He was kissing me.

_Whoa, whoa, whoa!! Stop it right now. Besides, wasn't the last person I kissed Hiei?_

_**No you idiot, don't think about Hiei!!**_

Kurama's lips were so soft. "Ngh!" I moaned, my hand absent-mindedly moving toward my erection. _Erection? Oh shit! I can't do this in Kurama's tub!_ My body had its own idea about that.

_Okay, just don't think about Kurama. Think about something else. Baseball._ Kurama licking water off my chest. "Mmmnah…" I shoved a wash-rag in my mouth to stifle my moans. Kurama kissing a trail down my chest. Kurama biting my neck. Kurama teasing my nipples with his soft fingers. My hand, Kurama's hand stroking my need. Then…

Me screaming Kurama's name into the cloth.

_**Sorry about the solo thingy. It's necessary to the plot. I promise. Also, sorry about leaving it at such an awkward place. You'll understand when you see how long the next chapter is going to be.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. See previous chapters and my profile for full disclaimer.**

_**A big thanks to Minorkae for beating me senseless for not updating just because I got a mean review. You guys aren't mad that I 'threatened' to DC the fic are you? You guys aren't petty enough to stop reading just because I'm immature? My ego was really bruised by that review and I couldn't even reply to it to explain my reasoning. Minorkae was quite right, I don't want to write something no one will read. It's a waste of my time as well as bandwith.**_

_**And I'm not half as bad as some people who 'won't update until I get ten reviews from ten different people.' Or 'if you don't review, Gin dies.' That one was priceless. So, if you're going to be cruel, take it elsewhere.**_

**Chapter Five**

I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror telling myself that what happened was a dumb adolescent fantasy and psyching myself up to go down and face Kurama. Kurama's too polite to bring up something so private right?

Wrong!

"Feeling better?" Kurama asked when I reached the bottom of the stairs in the kitchen. He wasn't facing me so I couldn't see what I now know was an evil grin on his face.

"Yeah, thanks, your tub is awesome," I replied. I sighed with relief, thinking that Kurama would drop it.

"Apparently…" Kurama turned around with his face completely passive. "Of course, only you know that first hand. At least, I'm assuming you used your hand…"

Queue Yusuke Urameshi's famous 'deer in headlights' look.

Kurama picked up my hands and sniffed them. "Hmm… you are right-handed, yet you used your left… How come?"

"Not funny, Kurama. I know you don't say 'how come.' You're just trying to be cute."

"I see… is it working?"

I felt like I was deflating slowly. "You're being icky."

"Icky, Yusuke? Is that the best you could come up with?"

"Hilarious. Do you enjoy torturing me?"

"It's perfectly understandable. People become overwhelmed and their emotions often come to a head."

"I wouldn't be so pissed off if you didn't keep saying this shit with a straight face."

Kurama nodded. "If you need my advice, we could always come together and come up with a solution."

"I am soo close to hating you right now. And the 'come' jokes are a little immature."

"Oh, I see, would you rather I make jokes about coming of age?"

"You thought that one up without even trying didn't you? You're ruining the word. It's like reading too much porn and then trying to have a normal conversation."

"Is that what you used? You hide it well; I've never found your stash."

"I used my own brain, thank you very much! I have an overactive imagination."

"Really? I thought it was women who primarily fantasized without a visual aid. What were you fantasizing about?"

"Fuck off."

"Now you are doing it."

"You know, at least Kuwabara wouldn't enjoy embarrassing me so much. You're just being sadistic."

"Ohh, you hurt my feelings. I'm glad you liked my bubble bath. I keep a bottle in every bathroom. I always use it."

"That explains EVERYTHING!"

Kurama frowned. "What is 'everything' Yusuke?" He was suddenly out of his joking mood.

No, I wasn't thankful, this was worse.

"I'm gonna go curl up in a corner and die now," I said turning away. _Sheesh, no wonder… It smells exactly like him. That doesn't explain why it turned me on though. Gods, if he wasn't in love with Hiei, I wouldn't be so embarrassed by all this. I could just tell him how I feel… which is what? How do I feel about Kurama? Doesn't matter now…_

"Yusuke, you were thinking about me?"

I took a deep breath. There was just no deceiving Kurama. "I'm sorry," I said. "It was weird, I know and now everything is gonna be awkward."

"I don't know what to say…"

"Well, say you hate me or something so I know where I stand."

"Hate you? No, Yusuke, I'm flattered!"

I face-vaulted.

"What?" I asked, standing up, this time facing Kurama. "You're not mad?"

"Why should I be? You think I'm sexy."

"Oh gods Kurama, what happened to your tact?" Hiei asked, suddenly at the foot of the stairs. "I'm over my mood, so you can just calm down."

Kurama had been staring at Hiei as if he were a hyena holding a baby in its mouth.

"If you look at me as if I am horrifying, I might become offended," said Hiei. "How do you know that Yusuke finds you sexy?"

I glared at Kurama.

"That is between us," said Kurama.

"What? Because of his dreams?"

"Dreams?" Kurama and I said in unison.

"What I saw in Yusuke's mind that day when I sorted through his thoughts."

"Okay, now I'm kinda curious," I said. "What did you see?"

"Are you sure you want me to say in front of Kurama?"

"There's no point trying to hide anything from him…"

"Years of repressed sexual energy and physical attraction associated with Kurama."

"Okay, that I could have lived without him knowing."

"That isn't even half of it."

"Is the other half worse?"

"It depends who you ask."

"Tell us."

"I saw romantic dreams; mostly of Kurama drinking champagne, shirtless, under the moon. That is one of the reasons I suggested therapy. Human fantasies are baffling."

"I don't remember dreaming about Kurama."

"You wouldn't, you've been repressing romantic feelings for Kurama ever since you met him. Repression often goes deep enough to make you forget dreams. Let me tell you that I know first hand how bad repression can be."

"I'll bet. So, you learned all that in fifteen minutes?"

"I've known you a lot longer than that. I could tell that you had feelings for him eons ago.

"I'm sorry, Kurama," Hiei continued. "We're being rude. Do you have anything to add?"

"I think I'm going to be sick."

_**Ack! That came dangerously close to becoming drival! I promise more substantial updates in the future. I know it ended funny but I wanted to get something out there since I haven't updated since… Holy crap, September 24!! I'm so sorry guys. Two months for an update is waayy too long!**_


	6. Chapter 6

Last chapter was shorter than I led you all to believe it would be. This by no means that the story is ending very soon. I mean, the end isn't even in sight. I haven't introduced the Hiei/Kuwabara romance thing yet.

**Disclaimer: ** It's not mine still.

**Chapter Six**

"Just keep you head between your knees and breathe deeply into the bag," Hiei ordered as I stood by freaking out because Kurama was having a… whatchamacallit. Panic attack. I didn't know he got those. But anyway, it was scary because he was shaking and hyperventillating and all because of my godamn weird dreams.

Kurama dropped the bag and stood up. He started pacing around the kitchen. "Gods it's hot." He pulled off his over-shirt and dropped it to the floor.

"Calm down, Kurama," said Hiei. "If you calm down we can sort this out."

Kurama laughed with a tinge of hystaria. Okay, more than a tinge. What is a tinge anyway? Never mind.

"How could anyone ever have feelings for me? It's perposterous!" Kurama shouted.

"Get back in the chair and breathe into the bag!" Hiei commanded.

"I just need to focus. I just need to calm down." Kurama took a few deep breaths. "I'm okay."

"Good, because you were scaring me."

"I'm sorry, Yusuke. It was just a moment of weakness."

Somewhere around here is where Hiei snuck off upstairs.

"Don't worry about it. We all have those."

"About what Hiei said earlier…"

"We just need to talk, right?"

"How do you feel about me?"

"I don't know really. I've always thought you were attractive in an arms-length kind of way. And the thing in the bathtub was just me letting you get too close to my heart. I don't know what to say. If I could take it all back and make it so it wasn't so; I would. I'm afraid to get too close to you, I don't want to be hurt."

Kurama looked away. "It's okay, Yusuke. Thank you for being honest."

"Why do you look so hurt? I wasn't really rejecting you. I just don't want… I don't know. All this time, it's been driving me nuts thinking that you were in love with Hiei. I got so jealous and this stuff Hiei said was new to me. It makes sense though. I mean, I'm at arms-length with my emotions all the time so if I was in love with you, I wouldn't even know it. I'm an asshole."

"I think I can relate."

"To being an asshole?"

"To being at arms-length with my emotions and not being able to know if I were in love. You see, it has never happened to me before. I wouldn't know how it felt."

"Really? But you've been around for such a long time."

"I've never let myself get close enough to fall in love."

"Not even once?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, but that doesn't make any sense. Kitsune crave affection, don't they?"

"Yes."

"Well, if you never let anyone get close to you, how did you get the affection you craved?"

"As Yoko, I used sex as a form of affection but it never went beyond that. Now that I am human, I cannot do that anymore."

"But you still crave affection?"

"Yes, all the time."

"How do you deal with it?"

"I remember the times when someone has given me affection and try and imagine it is happening in the present."

"Does it work?"

"Almost never."

"What happens when it doesn't work?"

"I become very depressed and cry."

"I hope I never have to see that."

"Why?"

"I can't stand seeing people I care about cry. You saw what happened when Hiei cried; I kissed him to make him stop! I hate it when people cry."

"It's alright, I won't ever cry in front of you."

"You don't have to do that. If you need to cry, than cry. I'll just do anything to make you stop."

Kurama looked into my eyes. "Anything?"

"Pretty much."

"What about giving me affection so I won't cry in the first place?" he asked so quietly that it was barely audible.

"I would love to."

"Right now?"

"Right now is perfect." I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. "You're the greatest friend a guy could ever hope for."

- -

A/N: So that was short and it was like they took one step forward, three back and another step forward. Please review. I like knowing that people are reading.


	7. Chapter 7

**Did you think I had died? Sorry about that excessively long gap in updates. My muses all jumped off a bridge (frekking lemmings). Anyway, I hope this hilarity and intro to KuwabaraHiei-ville makes up for it.**

**Disclaimer: It isn't mine. Give it a rest with all the disclaimers already!**

**Chapter 7**

When I got down to the kitchen the next morning, I was surprised to see Kurama already awake and functioning! Then I realized he was doing that slamming thing with the cupboards and pans and I thought, _This looks familiar... Oh yeah..._

"Okay," I said to the irate fox demon. "What's wrong?"

Kurama spun around with a feral glare and I noticed that his eye was twitching. "Have you ever been molested by Hiei?"

I gaped at him open-mouthed for a few seconds. "Ehh no... Why is your eye twitching?"

"I can't stand it any longer! Hiei is in heat and he needs to get laid quickly so I can have some peace."

"Whoa! I'm not volunteering for that."

"Well, I'm not doing it either."

There was an odd shrill quality to his voice that was like nails on a chalk board only emotionally. Don't know if that makes much sense but the point is, the sound didn't hurt my ears. "Is there anyone we know who can and or will?"

"Ideally: Kuwabara."

I laughed. "Right, because Hiei is soo going to agree to that."

"Speak of the devil." Kurama twitched and walked out to the living room to answer the door before anyone knocked. "Kuwabara what a plea-"

Kurama was cut off when a strong wind blew from upstairs and knocked Kuwabara on his back in the foyer. Oh wait, that was Hiei.

Kuwabara was stunned for a moment before he stood up with _Hiei still clinging to him!_ "What the...? Um... guys? Help!" he said. "Ow! Yusuke get him off me, he just bit my neck!"

"Go with it, man," I said. "I wouldn't tell him no when he's like that."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but I think your ass is in danger."

"In danger of wha-" Kuwabara suddenly stopped talking when Hiei whispered something in his ear. At least, that's what it looked like. Really, Hiei was licking it.

Gross.

"Okay, that's it!" Kuwabara yelled. "Hiei, either get off me or tell me what the heck is going on"

"You don't want to give him options, Kuwabara," said Kurama. "I highly doubt he will get off of you now that you've given him the option of staying attached."

Kurama looked very pleased with this arrangement. I guessed this was what he meant by 'ideally Kuwabara.'

"It's very simple, Kazuma," said Hiei. "I want you and you are going to give yourself to me. Is that clear enough?"

"What if I say no?"

"You don't want to say no."

"What if I do?"

"You won't. If you say no, I won't hear you. I've waited months to get you alone and now you are going to do as I say."

Hiei jumped down and dragged Kuwabara upstairs.

I pointed toward the stairs and gave Kurama my 'question mark' look. Kurama chuckled. "That just made my day," he said, smiling.

"Gorgeous smile," I said, flashing him one of my famous cheesy grins.

"Why thank you, Yusuke," said Kurama.

I tackle-hugged him.

He stared up at me from under me inquisitively. "It worked on Kuwabara..." I shrugged, starting to stand. Kurama pulled me down by the collar and kissed me.

I pulled back, shocked. "Ehh?"

"It worked on Hiei." a/n Kurama is referring to when Yusuke kissed Hiei in an earlier chapter 

I laughed and reached down to hug Kurama. Scenes like this were becoming what Kurama would call commonplace in the house. Although, Kurama never kissed me before then. It was nice. Very nice.

Kurama rolled over so I would be under him. I raised an eyebrow. "Are we wrestling or something more sinister?"

"Why don't you decide."

I laughed again and sat up, toppling Kurama off me in the process. I grabbed him before he could fall onto his butt which ended with me and Kurama in the same position only this time, Kurama was kneeling between my legs.

"You're not... joking are you...?" It wasn't really a question.

Kurama's hair was tickling my face and neck and the feral look in his eyes was back except less angry, more carnal panic. _Oh boy..._

All of a sudden, Kurama stood up. "I'm sorry, I lost control there for a second."

I stood. "Control of what?"

"What you aptly thought of as 'carnal panic'."

"You read my mind?"

"Not on purpose, I assure you. It won't happen again." He sighed and returned to the kitchen. I stared at his retreating back thinking fuck over and over again. I was still standing there fifteen minutes later when Kurama walked back in and told me breakfast was ready.

I blinked at him and walked into the kitchen where a traditional Japanese breakfast was laid out on the table. I took a seat, silently and started eating.

"Are the bedrooms in this house sound-proof?" I asked.

"Yes," said Kurama. "Why do you ask?"

"I haven't heard any noise coming from upstairs and I thought I would. I just thought nothing was happening."

"Oh, something is happening, I can smell it."

"Okay, gross. I don't want to think about Kuwabara and Hiei... egh."

"It isn't gross, it's lovely and romantic."

"Hold up a sec. I didn't think there was anything romantic about Hiei."

"No, you wouldn't. He's never been in love before."

"You're telling me that he's in love with Kuwabara?"

Kurama nodded.

"That's outrageous."

"My thoughts exactly."

After about three hours of not hearing a peep from upstairs, I decided it would be safe to go up there and take a shower. As soon as I passed Hiei's bedroom, I retreated. I could see what Kurama meat about the smell. It was giving me goose-bumps in interesting places.

I went downstairs, feeling like I was going to have another Kurama-bubble-bath moment and found Kurama sitting on the sofa reading. Or, I thought he was reading. I watched him and he didn't turn the page for ten minutes so I knew he wasn't reading.

"Kurama?" I said softly.

Kurama looked up at me. "Hm?" he said.

"I... um... like what you did with your hair today."

Kurama looked at me confused. "It's the same way I always have it."

"It just looks extra shiny today, I guess."

"Is something the matter?"

"I don't know. I feel... sad, in a weird way."

"Why is that?"

I sat down beside Kurama. "It was so easy for Hiei to get what he wanted. He just asked for it and wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Hiei was certain of what he wanted before going after it."

"Oh..."

"You don't know what you want?"

"I think I do."

"What is it that you want?"

"I think I might be in love with you."

"Think and might are not very assuring. You either are or you are not. Well, I suppose there could be an in-between stage..."

"I've been struggling with this for weeks. Ever since I moved in, really and I gotta be honest with you, it's driving me up the wall."

"Hmm..."

"What?"

"I'm thinking."

"Could you think out loud?"

"I wonder if Yusuke knows how his words are affecting me. I wonder if he knows that I feel the same confusion he does. I wonder if I can ever unwrap the enigma that is Yusuke Urameshi. I hope that someday we figure this out so I won't have to feel so lonely every time I look at him. I wish I could tell him how I feel in simple terms, but I don not think there is anything simple about it. I think I might be in love with him too."

I stared at Kurama, dumbstruck.

"Was that to your liking?"

I nodded numbly. "I guess that answers my question then. You're really that amazing." I kissed him softly and felt him immediately respond. He kissed me with a gentle teasing that was part confused, part desire, and part I-don't-know-what. He wrapped his arms around my back and pulled himself into my lap. I gripped his back as gently as I could while still showing how much I wanted him.

He pulled away, panting and moved his mouth down to my neck. I gasped at the sudden sensation of his teeth raking against my sensitive flesh. He started rubbing my chest with one hand and caressing my cheek with the other. I kissed his finger-tips lightly, enjoying the gentle sucking he was doing on my neck.

I leaned back against the arm of the couch so he would be on top of me and felt him straddle my hips. I moaned when my semi-hard cock rubbed against his. "Wait," I said softly. "Kurama, wait!"

Kurama pulled back immediately. "What's the matter?"

"I'm scared. I've never done this before."

"With a man?"

"With anyone. I'm really... nervous."

"That's okay, Yusuke. We don't have to do this." He slid off of me and I sat up.

"I'm sorry. I probably just ruined your plans."

"I wasn't planning anything. I was going with what happened. I would never force you to do something you were uncomfortable with. I wouldn't even try to convince you after you've told me no once." He smiled meekly at me. "You are an excellent kisser."

"You should qualify that with 'for someone so inexperienced.'"

"No, you have a gods given talent."

"Okay, to the gods then!" I kissed Kurama on the cheek.

**Five pages isn't long enough, I think I'll have to update again soon. Really soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Edit- Blinks. Okay, so somehow, FFnet didn't upload my whole chapter. I'm just as confused as you are. Anyway, here's the whole thing!!! Sorry about the confusion.**

**Okay, I just re-read all my reviews on this story and I want to thank each and everyone of you personally, but that would take too much time. I love how some of you are saying 'thank you for updating' it gave me a major guilt attack, which is why I'm updating twice in the same day.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Still.**

**Chapter 8**

"A little to the right," I said. "Wait! No, a little to the left. Ahh, that's good. I think you need to push it a little harder though."

Kurama was turning red for some reason.

"What? Are you getting over-heated? I'll move the bookshelf for you if you're getting tired."

For all of you having impure thoughts, say two Hail Marys.

"It's not that. I'm just wondering how our two friends are faring upstairs."

I laughed. "It has been a while hasn't it?"

"A while is a bit of an understatement. They went up there at ten am yesterday. It's noon. By my calculations, it's been over twenty-eight hours."

"Poor Kuwabara."

"What about Kuwabara?" asked Kuwabara coming down the stairs.

I burst into giggles at the sight of him.

"Good afternoon," said Kurama.

"Afternoon?" said Kuwabara. "It's already the afternoon?"

"Yes, and while I appreciate your... company, I would like it if you would inform me of your intentions before spending the night in my house."

I started laughing harder at Kuwabara's embarrassed look. "Oh, come on, Kurama. Give him a break." I said between laughs. "Hiei didn't exactly inform him of his intentions yesterday morning so how was Kuwabara supposed to know that he... he..." I couldn't finish, my stomach was starting to hurt from laughing so hard. "Twenty-eight hours!! That's gotta be in Guinness."

Kuwabara grunted. "We slept too!"

That just made Kurama start laughing along with another eruption of laughter from me.

"Fine, but maybe I won't warn you about Hiei then."

"Wh-ha ha! What about... Hiei?" I was gasping for air. It was too funny. Then I noticed that Kuwabara was limping.

"Oh my god, I think I'm going to die!" I yelled. I fell to the floor and started rolling around, laughing hard enough to cause a rupture somewhere.

"Hello!" said an unfamiliar voice.

I stood up and looked for the source of the cheerful hello but I didn't see anyone except Hiei. Who was smiling.

That stopped my laughter quick.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" asked Hiei.

I sucked in my cheeks and looked at Kuwabara. "What did you _do_ to him?"

Hiei and Kuwabara ignored me as Hiei walked up to Kuwabara and pinched his butt. Kuwabara yelped. That almost got me laughing again but something was seriously unfunny about how Hiei was acting. He was acting almost...

Human.

Queue creepy dramatic music.

"Did you slip Hiei some extacy while you were up there?" I asked.

Kurama looked into Hiei's eyes and frowned. Then he sucked in some air really sharp. "Hiei!" he shrieked.

"What?" I asked.

"You marked him already?" Kurama said, ignoring me. "Did you ask his permission first?"

"Well, of course!" said Hiei. "I wouldn't mark someone without asking first."

"Question," I said. "Marked? As in, you and Kuwabara are... mated?" I was so shocked that it barely registered when Hiei said yes.

Stunned, I stared at Kurama. He stared back until I realized I had been staring and blushed and looked away.

"Does this mean you will be living here as well?" Kurama asked Kuwabara.

"No," Hiei answered for him. "Kazuma and I will be living at the temple with Yukina and Puu."

"You- you're leaving?" Kurama asked, breathless.

"Why do you think I was up there so long?" asked Hiei. "I had to pack. Are you okay? You look like you need a hug."

I stared at this person pretending to be Hiei because surely Hiei would never ask someone if they needed a hug.

"I'm fine," said Kurama. "It just caught me off guard, that's all." He paused and took a deep breath. "Will you require a ride to the temple? I could call for my father's limo."

"A limo wouldn't get through the forest but thanks anyway," said 'Hiei.' "We'll be going now." 'Hiei' picked up his a few of his bags from next to the stairs and Kuwabara took the rest. "Thanks for letting me stay here."

"You're welcome. You can stop by any time." Kurama looked alarmed. To tell the truth, I was alarmed too. This whole situation was... alarming.

Once the door shut behind them, Kurama crashed to the floor. "Oh, shit," I said. "You didn't faint, did you?"

"No, just felt dizzy for a second." Kurama stood up. "I'll be fi- whoa!" He started to list forward so I grabbed hold of him.

"You sick?"

"No. Just anxious. Anxiety sometimes makes me dizzy."

"You're not gonna have another watchamacallit are you?"

"No, but I think I'm developing an ulcer."

I led Kurama to the sofa and lowered him gently to sitting position.

"I know you don't put much stock in human docs but if you start coughing up blood-" Too late. "Okay, I'm dialing 911."

- -

At the hospital, Kurama got through to the doctor really fast on a count of he coughed up a pint of blood on the ambulance ride over. I was holding his hand, telling him it was going to be alright but inside, I was scared shitless. I thought I was gonna lose Kurama. I don't know why, it seems irrational now that I think back on it but I thought he was going to die.

I kissed his hand and he stopped coughing.

"Why did you do that?" he asked weakly.

"Kiss you? I thought it would-"

"No, call an ambulance. That was a mistake. They might put blood in me..." Kurama fainted.

Oh shit.

I called out to Hiei telepathically.

/Yes?/ he answered cheerfully.

I tried not to gag and said /Is there some reason Kurama wouldn't want a blood transfusion?/

/Oh my gods, you didn't take him to a hospital did you?/

/Uh... he was coughing up blood./

/Tell the doctors that Kurama's religion won't allow him to accept any blood. I'll be right there./

Hiei broke the connection and I relayed the information to the attending.

"Mr. Minamino has lost quite a lot of blood," she said. "He might need a transfusion to live."

"No blood," I said. "Absolutely not."

The attending sighed. "Are you his medical proxy?"

"His what? No, that's his mom right?"

"Yes. Without her present, we have to assume that your friend would accept any reasonable treatment that a person who is conscious would accept. I'm sorry, but blood transfusion is one of those things."

"Give him my blood then! Just no stranger's blood." I had a feeling I knew why Kurama didn't want a human's blood to be transfused into his body so I thought that having a demon's blood would be better.

"What is your blood type?"

"O negative Hero. I've never been exposed to that virus so my blood is safe to give to babies too."

"I know what 'Hero' means." The doctor sighed aggravatedly. "Get in the room and I'll have a nurse hook you up to Mr. Minamino. You're not afraid of needles are you?"

"No. Just do it."

The transfusion was almost over when Hiei arrived through the window. "What have you done?" he asked, sounding angry.

"I gave him my blood so he could live," I said. "Is that bad?"

"Do you know how a kitsune claims a mate?"

"This is bad, isn't it..."

"They drink each other's blood. Which is why I told you not to let them put blood in him! He is going to kill you once he regains consciousness."

"Excuse me," said a nurse. "Who are you?"

"I am a friend," said Hiei.

"You're not supposed to be in here while a procedure is going on."

"My friend would have consented. In fact, he's about to wake up and he isn't going to be at all happy so I suggest you leave this room right now." Hiei's jagon glowed purple under its ward and the nurse walked out without another word.

Kurama whimpered and opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kurama. I didn't know!"

"Didn't know wh-" Kurama gasped when he saw the IV dripping blood into his veins. "No..." he moaned. "No, this can't be happening. Please let this all be a nightmare. I'm mated to a stranger."

"No," I said. "You're mated to me."

**Cliffhanger! I had to end it here because my limit is usually five pages and I reached that mark. Well, okay, not exactly but I just wanted to leave you guys in a little bit of suspense until next week when I update again. **

**I promise, I won't drop off the face of the earth again. Pinky swear.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Self-explanatory I don't own it.**

**I stole the Phoenix idea from Minorkae. It was quite brilliant. I'm giving the rest of the story to you guys now because I want to put up another one. M'kay? Love you!**

**Chapter Nine**

"Hiei," said Kurama. "Hold Yusuke down so I can KILL him."

"No can do," said Hiei. "I will admit that this is partly his fault but I won't let you kill someone who just saved your life."

"_Ruined _my life," Kurama spat.

"Now you are behaving like a spoiled teen aged human."

"Is it really that bad?" I asked.

"Yes!" Kurama yelled.

My heart sank and I looked away. "So being mated to me is like your worst nightmare? That makes me feel awesome. Thanks a lot, Kurama. I'll just go cry in the corner in case anyone cares." I was trying to be flippant but I really did feel like crying.

I walked to the chair in the corner and sat down, yanking the IV out of my arm.

"I think he might be crying," said Hiei. "That was an awful thing to say. It could be worse. You could be mated to a complete stranger. And at least you have feelings for the boy. It _could_ be worse."

"Ow..." I muttered, biting back tears.

Kurama stubbornly refused to speak.

Hiei walked over to me and touched my shoulder. "This is nothing to cry about," he said.

"Yes it is," I said. "While Kurama was coughing up blood, I kept thinking, 'oh no, if he dies, I'll never be able to tell him that I'm in love with him' I'm such a dope."

"Yusuke," said Kurama. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I was just upset."

"Yeah, if that's how you feel about us being mated, then I think I'd rather live with my mom."

Kurama gasped and I walked out.

Hiei followed me out. "What do you _want_ Hiei?" I snapped.

"I want you and Kurama to stop acting like assholes and admit that you want to be together."

"I told him I loved him. I said it and he apologized. What am I supposed to think when someone apologizes in response to 'I'm in love with you?'"

"You didn't give him a chance to finish. Get back in there and apologize for even suggesting that you would go live with that woman who beats you."

"I can handle my mom, Hiei."

Hiei grabbed me. "I cannot allow you to destroy you life and Kurama's." He bodily carried me into the room and set me in front of Kurama. "You two are mated, for better or worse," he said. "Work this out or I'll brainwash the two of you."

"I love you, Kurama. I'm sorry I put my blood in you. But I honestly didn't know-"

"It's okay, Yusuke. I know you didn't know. I was just shocked."

I turned to Hiei. "You see?" I said. "I tell him I love him and he acts all apologetic."

"I love you too," said Kurama. "You wouldn't let me finish."

"Then why don't you want to be my mate?"

"It isn't a matter of me wanting to. It's a matter of me wanting _you._"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Now that we are mated, I won't be able to easily control my desire for you. With your blood in my veins, I'll need to be by your side at all times or I will become gravely ill. Please don't go live with your mother. Not until she finishes her counseling."

"Counseling?" I asked.

"She signed herself up the minute I told her you were never coming back. She hasn't gotten drunk or really drank any alcohol since you left but if you go back now, I might die anyway."

"Die?"

"Yes, of heart-ache."

"Oh, Kurama!" I rushed to his side and wrapped my arms around him as best I could while he was lying down. "I won't let you die. I won't let you hurt anymore."

"Thank you, Yusuke."

- -

Kurama and I were able to go home the following day, after Shiori and Kazuya fussed over him for about an hour and a half. Kurama was diagnosed with peptic ulcers brought on by stress and they gave him a prescription which Kurama immediately threw away. He had better remedies for his condition.

Still, there was a problem. I was a scared little virgin and Kurama wanted me all the time.

"Yusuke, come here," he said a few days later.

I hesitated.

"I won't molest you, I promise."

"That's what you said the last time."

"I only want a kiss. Just a kiss."

"I know but if I get you started, you might not stop."

"I told you, Yusuke, all you have to do is say no once, and I will stop."

I walked over to the couch were Kurama was sitting and kissed him quickly and chastely.

"Not fair," he said.

"I'm sorry, Kurama but..."

"I understand."

Something shifted in the air and I wasn't sure what it was until I realized I was smelling something coming from Kurama. Something musky and... sexy.

"Oh gods, don't tell me you're in heat now on top of everything else?"

"It is rather bad timing, isn't it."

"I think the universe is conspiring to get me to make love to you."

"You've never really told me why you are so afraid."

"I'm a virgin."

"That isn't why though..."

"Yeah, it's also because I'm afraid I can't live up to you. You're a freaking sex-god."

"You don't have to be a sex-god to give me pleasure, Yusuke. You can do that just by looking at me." He smiled. "I'm also not as experienced as you lead yourself to believe. In this body, I have not taken a lover. I would be honored if you would be my first."

I felt all the blood in my body rush to my face. His proposition was starting to sound very attractive. _Oh no! I'm losing to lust!_

_Eh, what the hell..._

"I've heard a rumor that you are very good with your hands. Or at least the right one." Kurama smirked sexily.

"It's the bubble-bath, it's freaking orgasmic."

"So are you, Yusuke."

"Eh...feh wha?"

"I said: You are freaking orgasmic."

"Okay, I give."

I leaned over Kurama and kissed him hard. He pulled back slightly so it wasn't such a hard kiss and instead regarded me gently, teasingly, like the first time we had ever made out.

Kurama pulled me on top of him and nibbled my neck. I gasped. "Oh gods, yes!" I moaned.

"That is no way to discourage me," said Kurama. He blew into my hear and my whole body tensed. Good tension. Really good. "I think we should take this upstairs. You want your first time to be in bed, right?"

Somehow I nodded and we stood up. Kurama rested a hand on my shoulder as we walked up the stairs to his room. He was doing something with his ki that made me think I was having an orgasm but I wasn't. "Sly fox," I muttered as he pushed me gently onto the bed.

"Only one of my many tricks," he said.

"Do it again."

"Ah-ah-ah!" said Kurama. "I'm going to make love to you the old fashioned way." He lowered himself onto me and kissed me gently.

His gentle kisses were nice but I wanted him to get a bit rough. I tried to convey that by holding him really tight. After a few seconds, he caught on and started kissing me with more urgency. He leaned away from me. "How do you like it my little Phoenix?"

"Mmm... You, Fox-boy?"

Kurama grinned and started kissing me again. He was trying to distract me by nibbling on my lower lip so I wouldn't notice that he was unzipping my jeans. But I noticed.

The second he touched my need, I gasped, tensed and pulled away. "I can't," I whispered frantically. "I'm too nervous."

Kurama sighed and got off me. "As you wish, Phoenix." Then he limped to the bathroom. The limp made me wonder until I realized how hard it was to walk straight when you were that hard.

"Shit," I muttered. "Now what?"

I curled up in a ball and waited for the need to go away. I had remarkable restraint, I guess because I was fine when Kurama came back. He wasn't shivering so that ruled out a cold shower but he was wet which left only one possibility.

Damned if I wasn't an awful lover. I was ashamed that I let my mate service himself instead of taking care of him. "I'm sorry, Kurama," I said, miserably.

"I don't mind, I promise," he replied, crawling into bed next to me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled the covers over us. "I am very patient."

I was lulled off to sleep by the sound of Kurama's breathing and heart-beat. My last thought was that heart-beats sounded wonderful when you didn't have one of your own.

**Everyone probably just groaned in disappointment. I'm trying something new here. I want to write about a person who isn't always ready for sex. That is the current theme in fanfiction today. People just going at it and not feeling any reservations. But Yusuke is a normal human, for the most part, and normal humans aren't as sex-crazed as we pretend to be. So if Kurama can be patient, then so can you.**

**I am SO evil.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Not mine, not even for the last chapter.**

**Like I said, this is the last chapter. It's been a great ride and I want to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews and sticking with the story. I'd be lost without your kind words (and probably would stop posting if I didn't get reviews. I know it's juvenile but, that's the way I am.)**

**I'm mean sometimes.**

**Chapter 10**

_Can I ask you a question please? Promise you won't laugh at me. _

_Honestly I'm standing here, afraid I'll be betrayed._

"Okay," I said, sighing. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" Kurama asked.

"If you do it very slow and... um just do it slow, okay?"

Kurama nodded and set down his newspaper. We were in the kitchen a few days after our failed love-making attempt. I squared my shoulders and walked up the stairs to Kurama's room, very aware of the fact that Kurama was behind me the whole way.

_As twisted as it seems, I only fear love when it's in my dreams,_

_So let morning light come in and let the darkness fade away._

Kurama kissed me softly, very softly. It was so soft that it barely felt like kissing. I leaned into the kiss to let him know that he could kiss me harder and he caught on, still kissing softly but with more passion.

His hands worked their way up my shirt and pulled it off over my head. Kurama paused. "Okay?" he asked.

I nodded and he pushed me onto the bed.

_Can you turn my black roses red?_

Kurama nibbled lightly on my neck and chest, kissing, licking, tasting. I took a ragged breath. Kurama looked up. "Still alright?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "Go on." I was shaking slightly but was determined not to back down again.

Kurama lowered me onto my back and kissed my lips again while unzipping my jeans. I kissed back with as much passion as possible to hide my nervousness as my pants fell away and I was left completely exposed to the man I loved.

_Drowning in my loneliness, how long must I hold my breath?_

_So much emptiness inside, I could fill the deepest sea._

Kurama leaned away and looked down at me while he removed his own clothes. "You still alright?"

I nodded. Unsure but wanting to be.

Kurama leaned over me and kissed me with more urgency than before. I let myself get lost in his kiss and tried to ignore what he was doing with his hands because it was scaring me.

"I won't hurt you, Yusuke-chan. I promise, this will not hurt."

"I know," I said. "I trust you."

Kurama kissed me again and I felt his finger enter me. I shuddered and Kurama paused. "G-go, it feels good."

Kurama prepared me for so long, I thought I was going to come before he entered me but he allowed me enough time to calm down before slowly pushing into me.

It didn't hurt at all.

_I touch the sky as the moon looks on, another year has come and gone_

_It's time to let your love rain down on me._

"I love you Kurama!" I cried as he hit a spot inside me that made my vision fuzzy.

Kurama was panting.

_Can you turn my black roses red? Cuz I'm feeling like I'll blame it on love._

The air was soon filled with our mingled cries of pleasure. For a few minutes there was nothing beyond me and Kurama. It was just the two of us and nothing else. Then my vision went blank and I exploded with love.

Kurama shuddered and fell beside me, spent. We were both sweating. Shaking.

Kurama reached over to the bedside table and grabbed his little ceremonial dagger. "Are you ready, Love?" he asked.

"Yes..."

Kurama sliced a cut in his shoulder and hot blood spilled out. I lowered my mouth to his shoulder and drank of his spirit. We were finally one.

**Short I know but it was more of an epilogue than a last chapter. I hope you guys liked it and please review. **

**Join me in my next story. Different pairings this time!**


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